Devo for 09/29/2024 service- Message by Pastor Clint Sprague

We are still in the series “The Way that Leads to Life,” and our verse from last weekend was Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.”   Right away, I saw in this beatitude the blessing and the reward we get from being pure; we get to see God.  What a wonderful gift!  I’m in!

Preparing for this devotional, I was looking deeper into the word pure, and a definition stood out: free from corrupt desire.  This got me thinking about temptation and the role desire plays in it.  We all know that satan tempts us to sin or miss the mark with God and also with each other.  We also know that temptation is not a sin.  Jesus was tempted, but He did not sin.  But temptation does become a sin when we act on it.

Looking at the word pure being defined as “free from corrupt desires,” it stands to reason that our struggle with temptation, since it is not a sin, is not about the “offer” or “opportunity” to do something sinful. Rather, our struggle is with our desire to act on the temptation. Without a desire to act, temptation is just that, temptation.  The key to overcoming this is to gain control over our desires and get on the path to find out WHY we have these corrupt desires.  

Pastor Clint laid out the steps that can help us in overcoming this.  Get into the presence of God and ask Him to show you any impurities that are living in your heart.  Then let Him work in you in the areas He identifies.  Two good places to start are Psalm 139:23-24 and James 4:7-8.  (Also, make sure you have christian brothers around you that are trustworty and safe, that you can lean on.)

I assure you, God wants to walk with you through your healing so you can live a life Free From Corrupt Desires!  

Don’t forget to invite God into your day!

Romans 8:1

1 Thessalonians 5:23